Sea Kin
Humans have alway held an affinity for the sea. Long ago, it is said, some returned to its watery embrace and live beneath the waves to this day. Others believe the sea kin came into being through the intermingling of seallike fae or magical hybridization, since they display traits found in mammals that live in watery enviornments. Sea kin live in shoalds and coral reefs adjacent to the shore, although rumors persist of colonies that have taken to the open sea. Sea kin towns are wondround to behold, existing in harmony with the rise and ebb of the tide as it flows through their homes. As might be expected, sea kin have a deep, almost mystical understanding of the ocean, and they do whatever they can to protect it from harm. Sea Kin Racial Traits * Humanoid (human): Sea kin are humanoid creatures with the human subtype * Medium: as medium creatures, sea kin have no bonuses or penalties due to size. * Sea kin base land speed is 30 feet. Their base swim speed is 30 feet * Low-Light Vision: Sea kin can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. * 4 extra skill points at 1st level, and 1 extra skill point at each additional level: Sea kin (like their human ancestors) are versatile and capable. (the 4 skill points at 1st level are added on as a bonus, not multiplied in.) * +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks: Sea kin naturally secrete a slippery oil to facilitate swimming. This secretion also makes it easy for them to slip out of restraints. * Hold Breath (Ex): A sea kin can hold his breath for a number of round equal to 8 X his Constitution score before he risks drowning. * Weapon Familiarity: Sea kin treat tridents and nets as simple weapons. * Water Dependency: A sea kin must immerse his entire body in water at least once a week or suffer ill effects. After a week has passed, a sea kin must make a Constitution check every day thereafter (DC 10 + 1 per additional day) or take one point of Constitution damage. Once a sea kin immerses his body in water, he immediately regains 1d4 points of Constitution per hour that he remains in water. * Automatic Languages: Common * Bonus Languages: Aquan, Elven, and Sahuagin * Favored Class: Druid Personality Sea Kin are relatively shy beings who prefer their own kind. However, they live close to (or within) human, elf and other societies and have learned to integrade themselves as much as they can. Some act as mediators between humans and various aquatic species. The social shyness of the race is countered by its intense curiosity. New people and experiences intrigue sea kin. Quiet and observant, sea kin prefer to watch events from afar before coming closer to investigate. The same applies to their relationships with others, and it may take cnsiderable time for another being to gain th trust of a sea kin. On the whole, sea kin are positive and upbeat, and they live life with gusto. They are relatively unsophisticated and often confused by the social complexities of the landbound races. Sea kin delight in natural beauty but are also drawn to the creations of other races, particularly treasuring items that are both practical and aesthetically appealing. For this reason sea kin are not interested in the acquisition of gold or riches for the sake of wealth, but they yearn to possess items that they find beautiful. Physical Description To a casual observer, a sea kin looks like a regular human. On closer examination, however, the differences between the races become more apparent. The skin of a sea kin is slightly shiny and slippery; it exudes a protective layer of oil that keeps them warm aswell as helping them move through water. The hands and feet of sea kin are longer than those of a human and have though webbing between their fingers and toes. Sea kin eyes are pitch black and have a secondary transparent eyelid that allows them to see unhindered underwater. Their hair is either pitch black or a metallic hue--shining silver, glimmering gold, or tawny copper. The most disturbing aspect of sea kin is their mouths, which can open wider than a human's and are filled with small needle-sharp fangs suited for tearing apart food rather than chewing it. Sea kin wear clothing made from natural elements, particularly seaweed, although they love clothes made by humans and other land dwelling races. Because they spend a large amount of time on land, sea kin carry weapons and equipment similar to that used by land-dwelling humanoids. Relations Sea kin get along with most aquatic races and they maintain alliances with merfolk and locathah communities. They distrust tritons, who view other races with a slight xenophobic attitude anyway. Sahuagin prey on lone sea kin who stray too far from the safety of their shoals and as a result the two races have been bitter enemies for as long as either race can remember. Sea kin enjoy the company of humans; some communities of mixed sea kin and humans have lived in harmony for generations. However, in greedy, suspicious, or just plan evil human societies, sea kin are viewed as competitors for resources and as impediments to waterborne travel. Sea kin prefer leaving for safer waters when conflict seems likely, but the most tenacious of them might stay to fight what they consider to be intolerance or unrestrained cruelty. Sea kin surround themselves with creatures of the sea such as packs of seals, sea lions, walruses, and similar creatures, just as humans do with canines and other domesticated animals that are kept as pets and companions rather than livestock. As might be expected, sea kin take a dim view of humans who hunt these creatures, although they can be made to understand the necessity of slaying the animals if no other food is available. Alignment Sea kin are shy but friendly, and they wish to get along with their neighbors. They tend toward neutral good, with a strong sense of community and willingness to help others. They see their few laws as a way to help bring order to the tumultuous ocean. Sea kin who live among humans adopt a more lawful attitude, while those who live along the untamed shore are much more chaotic and free-spirited. Sea Kin Lands Sea kin build impressive communities among rocky crags and cliffs. Their dwellings are designed to be partially underwater at high tide allowing the waves to lap across the floor in some areas, costal humans and sea kin have built fully integrated communities friendly to both species. Because of the relative scarcity of prime locations in which to construct their coral homes, sea kin sometimes inhabit the same territories as aquatic races. In the case of merfolk and sea elves, this incursion rarely causes problems, although squabbles can occur when food runs low. Religion Sea kin venerate nature, especially as it relates to the ocean. THose who worship a particular deity are drawn to Obad-Hai, although sea kin have been known to worship any of the same deities as the local humans. Those who feal closer to the sea worship Eadro, a sea deity also venerated by locathah, and merfolk, or Deep Sashelas, an elf undersea god of knowledge and beauty Language Sea kin speak common, heavily peppered with elven phrases (spoken with a sea elf dialect) and the occasional word of Aquan. Because sea kin spend too much time in the water, they write primarily on durable surfaces such as shell or stone with a florid, liquid script that is very pleasing to the eye. Sea kin tales are filled with evocative allegories that relate to their ocean home, and their stories tend to be long epics with cyclical themes. Sea kin who are more isolated become fluent in Aquan, the language of aquatic creatures Names Sea kin have strict guidelines about how names are granted to newborns. A male child must take the ame of his great-great-grandfather, while a female must follow the same tradition on the maternal side. New names are imports, added when sea folk encounter an individual who greatly impresses them and who has aided the sea kin in some grand fashion. For this reason, linguists note more than a few elf and halfling names among sea kin communities. Orc, dwarf, and gnome names are almost entirely absent, indicating that either sea kin hold these beings in poor regard or they simply haven't had enough contact with those races to warrant the inclusion of names from their language. '''Male Names: '''Darrius, Eemel, Marriton, Oskil, Phen, Rokar. '''Female Names: '''Ammera, Evaa, Lilellia, Sorras, Talisera, Veras. Adventurers Sea kin generally prefer to stick close to the safety of their coral homes, occasionally trading with nearby land-dwelling people. That said, sea kin also have a strong sense of curiosity, and some individuals become adventurers out of sheer inquisitiveness. Other sea kin turn to adventuring after a particularly violent encounter with a dangerous race, becoming obsessed with hunting down those enemies. Because of their understanding of the natural ebb and flow of the sea and the seasons, sea kin are drawn to the path of the druid, and many display an affinity for nature magic, particularly that associated with water, wind, and sea. Sea kin warriors are tough, persistent fighters who have few qualms about tackling their enemies head on. Category:Race Category:Races of Destiny Category:Humanoid Category:Humanoid (human)